


HLVRAI Magic

by MarshmallowMocha



Series: HLVRAI Magic AU [1]
Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Cuddling, Cute, Fantasy AU, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, HLVRAI, Half-Life VR But the AI is Self-Aware, Kissing, M/M, Magic ends up just being plot convenience lol, Minor Violence, Multi, No Smut, Polyamory, Self-Insert cause I'm not good with names, Swearing, The ships I write are soft and cute, They/Them Pronouns for Benrey (Half-Life), Trans Gordon Freeman, frenrey, joshua is a cat, may add or remove tags, no beta we die like men, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshmallowMocha/pseuds/MarshmallowMocha
Summary: Gordon uses magic and it causes him to make unexpected friends.And it helps him with his relationship with me, Mel the witch.Boomer is the only ship that monogamous.If you have a problem with Gordon, Tommy, and Benrey being in a polyamorous relationship, don't read.
Relationships: Boomer - Relationship, Frenrey - Relationship, freelatta, frenmy?, tomrey
Series: HLVRAI Magic AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820857
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	1. Into The Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Half-Life VR: Self-Aware AI](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/644956) by Wayneradiotv. 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction to me :)

Magic is difficult to describe. It's like a fire inside of you. Your emotions; no matter good or bad, fuel it. The more emotional one gets, the more the one's magic flares up. Personally, if my magic acts up, plants start to sprout from my hands. Not in a painful way, the roots wrap around my fingertips and the plant will grow outward, sometimes flowers, sometimes vines.

That's what got me into performance magic, much to the chagrin of my parents. Gordon, however, supported me. No matter what. Even if he favored tech.

So, we moved in together, just the two of us; barely making rent on our shitty apartment, impulse buying the latest games. We had fun. 

Until a year ago. Now, we rarely talk to each other. Only to bicker.

One day, after a long day of performing at a college for their graduation celebration, I came home to Gordon setting up a VR headset. He looked up at me, deer in headlights, as he was taking up the majority of the floor with technology scattered around. He looked like he hadn't showered in over a week and his hair could be tied back, but he let it do it's own thing, slicked down with grease. His clothing looked like it had seen better days as well, his white tank stained and his sweatpants were just as gross, too. I put my bag of magic supplies down on the ground, before crossing my arms, tapping my foot. We stared at each other for a while until he broke.

"I paid this month's rent already! Stop looking at me like that!" Gordon threw up his hands.

"I'm not upset about that; you look disgusting and I can clearly see you're tinkering with it and I haven't had a chance to play on it yet!"

"I'm good with technology, I know what I'm doing!" He ignored my comment about his appearance.

"You know what you're doing with my book on spells?" I point out the book he had behind him as if he was trying to hide it from me, "You can't keep doing this, dude. It's been over a year."

"Don't you fucking dare bring that up!"

"Why am I not allowed to talk about it? We live together, and you wallowing in your own self-pity won't fucking solve anything."

"You don't know what it was like, Mel. So shut the fuck up, and leave me alone!"

"Fine! Fuck with magic! Just don't come running to be when you fuck up!" I storm out of the room, slamming my door shut. I brush off the vines from my hands, not noticing them until just now, and hopping into the shower. I can hear him dicking around in the living room, even after the shower. I get changed into my pajamas before my stomach growls. Fuck, I got so angry I forgot to eat. I leave my room and go into the kitchen, which is just across from the living room. His setup is complete with him nowhere to be found. I figure he just went to go take a smoke break or something and make myself a pb&j. I take a big bite, starring over at his setup. My book is open to a page deep within the book. I brush it off, finishing my sandwich. I chug a glass of milk, then put all my dishes into the sink. I keep telling myself I'll make him do the dishes tomorrow, knowing in the back of my mind, I'll probably have to do them.

I brush my teeth, then head to bed. I need to do a birthday party gig tomorrow and don't have time for Gordon's bullshit.

* * *

My dreams are weird.

Usually, my dreams take place somewhere real and I'm a fly on the wall. Watching events unfold that I shouldn't be able to see or know of.

Tonight, I'm watching my brother.

He's in a suit of orange and black armor.He looks tired, his hand is gone and he is crying out for me.

Guilt forms at the pit of my stomach. He looks so sad, so small, so scared.

And I'm just the fly on the wall.

I can do nothing but watch.

I watch him weep, calling out to me.

And I, the fly on the wall. 

Can do nothing.

Guilt swallows me whole.

Nothing.

* * *

My alarm goes off. It's 7 in the morning. And I'm covered in blue flowers. I toss them into the bin next to me, shaking off my sadness with them. I head over to Gordon's room and knock. No answer. I knock again, only harder.

"Gordon?"

The door creaks open. It smells really bad, but I push the door open. The bed is unkempt and the trash is overflowing. And he's not here. Fuck the birthday party, I'm getting concerned. I leave his room, heading into the living room. I take note of everything being in its place from where it was left from the night before. Even my bag. I walk over to my book and look over the page Gordon was on.

Oh shit.

I pick up the book, looking for any way to reverse the spell. 

Several beeps come from the TV. I look up; text is appearing on the screen in an old pixilated font.

"mel if you're reading this im sorry i never shouldve tampered with magic i just wanted to escape but now i cant leave please hel pme"

I let out a mixture between a sob and a shout of frustration.

I can't think. 

I clutch my head, staring at the words on the page, not being able to focus.

I stop. Take in a deep breath, hold, then exhale. I look back down at the book.

YES.

I can cast a spell that'll reverse it. Get him back to the real world, but I'll have to be in there to do so. I pull on a hoodie and slip on some shoes. I sling my bag over my head and enter the world.

Here we go.


	2. Yucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I burst into the scene. And make some friends.  
> Also, this place is gross :(
> 
> Just a warning, the first part is pretty gross, Just skip to the first horizontal line if you don't wanna read it.

Here we go.

I step in, and immediately trip over something, falling right onto my face. I push off the ground, the smell of grime and rust and other notes of something I'd rather not describe. The feeling of goop in between my fingers and the air was very humid. I'm inside a sewage system. I look down at my pajamas; they're soiled along with my shoes and hoodie. I look at what I tripped on. It's a gross looking crowbar. I crinkle my nose and decide it was not worth picking the thing up.

Instead, I trudge on; trying my best not to think about what I'm walking in until I can barely make out a ladder. It's too dark to really see anything, but I huff out; grabbing onto the ladder. A shiver runs down my spine as the feeling of the ladder made me shrivel up and gag. I hold my breath as I grab onto the ladder with my other hand and immediately begin my ascent. After struggling up the slippery ladder, I do my best to push off the manhole. By now, vines have started to curl around my fingers, making it somewhat easier to grip the grimy surface.

Once I made it out, I gasp for fresh air. It was night time in the game; the sound of nighttime critters chirping and calling in the distance. I look around for anything to clean myself off; the feeling of something grainy on my skin made me feel sick to my stomach. I see a water pump in the distance. I run over; thanking the spirits that my shoes aren't too gross.

I frantically pump it several times until the water starts to come out. I move my hands to catch some water, however, it stops flowing once I let go of the pump. I huff angrily, before remembering my magic. I cast a spell; a small magic circle causing the pump moving on its own and I clean myself off.

* * *

I tossed my hoodie off, as well as my pajama pants; boxers and an oversized shirt will have to do. My bag and shoes are salvageable as wearing those damp isn't the worst thing in the world. I pray to the spirits to never deal with the sewers again.

Gordon owes me big.

I take in my surroundings once more, realizing I'm somewhere in the desert. I can see sand and cactuses everywhere as well as a few critters skittering around and letting out a call. I look up at the night sky, stars filling the night sky. It's so beautiful and it feels so real. 

The air feels very nice compared to what I had just experienced. I took in a deep breath and walked towards the building in the distance. 

I yanked onto the door and it doesn't budge. I yank on it again as if it would work if I try again. Nothing. I huff. I really shouldn't rely on too much magic, as running low on mana would delay our departure. I knock on the door, not sure what I'm expecting.

The door opens and I'm greeted with a security guard. Only, it's not a security guard; I know for a fact that this person isn't human. The glowing feral yellow eyes and the unnaturally wide smile revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth. I panic, stumbling backward, yellow flower buds pop up on my hands.

"Do you have your passport?" The creature asks. 

"Why do you need to see my passport?" I respond with a question.

"I can't let you in if you don't have your passport," They respond. I blink. What the fuck? I hesitantly pull out my passport and hold it for him to see. Their eyes seem to go wide before immediately turning to a blank expression. They let me in. I walk into the building; the lights are flickering and I can barely see in front of me. They close the door behind me and locks it. I swivel around to say something but am bet with their tactical vest in my face. I crane my neck to look up at their face.

"Umm..." I take a step back, "Do you know where Gordon is?"

They nod, taking a step towards me.

"Can you... lead me to him?" I take a step to the side. They look like there contemplating whether or not he should. They nod, starting to walk off in a seemingly random direction. I know I should be more cautious in this type of situation, but I decided to trust them. 

We walk for a couple of hours; after a while, I noticed they were probably just as lost as I was. I let out a huff and they turn to look at me. 

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Whuh?"

"... Do you know where we're going?"

"Huh?"

"I'm going to keep asking until you respond."

"Leading you to Feetman." 

I stifle a laugh, "...Freetman????"

"Feetman."

I laugh so hard, I'm clutching my stomach, my laugh echoing in the halls.

"He- he- he- y-you call h- him f- f- f- feetman?!" I can't stop laughing to get my words out, "What? How did, huh?"

They seem to be enjoying my laughter, smirking at me. I walk with them some more, talking and joking about random things, They felt very real to me.

Noticing we've walked into a new area. Three people in lab coats were huddled in the right corner and a figure in a familiar orange and black suit of armor was in the left corner. The only way in and out was the door we just walked through.

"Hey, Feetman." I call out, teasingly. The figure to the left spun around with a look of anger on his face, his eyes wild with deep bags under his eyes. He looks semi-cleaned up. His hair is tied back and he was wearing something other than clothing that hadn't been washed since they were bought. He stands up and walks over to me. He looks so bewildered; I'm just glad he's safe.

I slap him as hard as I can.

I mean, as hard as one can when Gordon towers over a foot above me;

I'm tiny and full of rage. 

I pull him into a hug before he can react; his suit his hard and hurts when I squeeze him, but I hold on. He holds me back, I can hear him start to sob. I squeeze harder, blue flowers wrapping up my arms. We pull out of the hug; both of us have tears in our eyes.

"Where are your clothes?!" Gordon dryly laughs; he wipes the tears from his eyes with his good hand.

I pull off the flowers; struggling to get them off as they've grown longer than usual.

It's my turn to wipe the tears from my eyes, before turning to the others in the room,

"I suppose introductions are in order."

* * *

I don't remember when I started pacing, but by the end of the story, I was. And after pulling flowers off of me several times there was enough on the floor to create a whole bouquet. I normally don't grow this many flowers accidentally more than once a week, but now there's a whole pile on the ground.

By the end of it; my mind was racing. A lot had happened overnight, time seemingly moves quicker in here. I keep glancing at the rest of the science team; knowing all too well what I have to do now that I've found Gordon.

"Gordon, I have the way out; I just need to cast the spell." I look over to the others one last time, "This'll be goodbye, ok?"

Gordon looks like he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"HELLO, G- It's ok, Gordon, we understand!" Dr. Coomer speaks up, smacking Gordon's back. He's a stocky old man and has his other arm around Bubby, a skinny old geezer, who just grunts in response.

"Goodbye, Mr. Freeman!" Tommy, who was a scientist wearing a propeller speaks up next. He was very nice, and seemingly cheerful all the time.

Gordon turns to Benrey. He opens his mouth to say something, but his voice seems to fail him.

"Lil Feetman gonna say something gay? Little Gayman wants to say goodbye?" Benrey teases.

Gordon looks like he's about to explode,

"Benrey, please just take me seriously for once!"

"Whuh?"

Gordon grabs their shoulders and pulls them close,

"Benrey, would you just fucking listen to me for just this once! I'm trying to apologize to you!"

"Wanna kiss?"

He looks like he's about to yell at Benrey again, but an idea crosses his mind,

"You know what; yes! Didn't plan on this, did you Benrey?!"

What a couple of gay disasters.

"You ready?" I interrupt before anything else can unfold between the two. He nods, looking over the Science Team once more before getting ready to head out.

We all group hug; our eyes start to tear up. We linger on some more goodbyes, even though I didn't know them that well, it felt like they were old friends. Like we'd known each other forever and this was the last time I'd be seeing them.

I cast the spell; holding Gordon's hands and a large magic circle, appearing below our feet. We close our eyes together, bracing for the spell to be cast. A bright light fills the room and

nothing happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	3. This how it be sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get in an argument, but everything turns out ok.
> 
> sorta.

I open my eyes and for a brief, fleeting moment I thought we were back in our apartment; our life returning to what we considered normal. My hands on top of Gordon's hands; his left hand trembling and his right gun arm thing was cold to the touch.

For a moment, the air was still, and everything was calm.

"Was something supposed to fucking happen?" Bubby interjected.

* * *

Colored light called Sweet Voice filled the room, Tommy is translating it, but I only half listen. Something about that being anti-climatic. As well as some other things.

Gordon paced the room we were in, yelling at no one and everyone at the same time.

I plopped down onto the floor, in the center of the room, and got to work researching.

"Um... Mel? Is Mr. Freeman ok?" Tommy asked me while I look over my book of spells.

"Hm?" I look up, "Oh, yeah. He overreacts all the time; he's done this since forever. Just let him blow off some steam, until then he won't listen to a thing you say."

"But, Mr. Freeman seems really upset! A-and this isn't healthy!"

"Yeah, this is..." I pause, "... This shouldn't be normal for us, why...?"

"M- Mel?" 

"When did this become the norm?" I scratch my head, "When we were little, we got along all the time..."

Everyone looks at each other in confusion before I realize something crucial hasn't been said this whole time.

"Oh, G!"

"WHAT?!" He snaps towards me.

"I totally spaced! You're my brother!"

He looks completely bewildered as if I had just lost my mind, "I- you- what?"

"Yeah! We forgot to them we're related!"

He stops pacing and something seems to break in his mind; he crumples into a ball on the floor, laughing hysterically. 

"Wow! You two are siblings?!" Tommy gasps.

"Yeah, I don't really bring it up often, but he's my big bro!" I chuckle.

"Congratulations, Gordon! On being a big brother!" Coomer cheers.

"Looks kinda shit," Benrey adds, "Tiny baby Feetman. Feetman 2: Electric Boogaloo."

"I might be only 5 feet tall, but I'm an adult!" I interject.

"FUCK THIS!" Gordon stands up, "I'M SO FUCKING DONE WITH ALL OF YOU. WHY ARE YOU ALL SO-"

"Gordon." I interrupt him before he can say anything harmful.

"NO, DON'T-"

"Gordon. Listen to me. You can't-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE-"

"GORDON!" I start to yell, standing up, I take a big breath, and try to keep my voice calm, "Hun, breath in."

"DON'T-"

"Breath. in."

He finally complies, taking in a really long, sharp inhale.

"Hold."

He holds his breath.

"Breath. out."

He sighs out, seems to be still angry, but ready to listen.

"When you get upset, you yell and yell and don't listen to anyone. That can be a problem. I usually just let you go off, but I shouldn't because that's why our relationship is so strained in the first place. And I know, I'm not much better when it comes to communication, but I want to. And I want you to. So, please, just listen to me."

"Mel, I..." He sighs, "I'm sorry. I know I... I don't... I have trouble understanding what's going on sometimes and I know I shouldn't lash out, but not knowing, not having control over anything can be scary."

"Why'd you use magic in the first place? Magic is wild and uncontrollable and- and-"

"I thought since you use it, I could use it."

I sigh, my eyes looking down on to the floor; my eyes meeting the book I had dropped as well as the multicolored flowers on the floor and on my hands. 

Realization.

"Magic is a unique experience for everyone... It's like having a pet, it has its own temperament, it's own... We have to go it together! ...Why didn't I think of this sooner?!"

"Do what?" 

"The spell!"

"Well, let's do it!" Gordon grabbed my hand.

I hesitate.

"... What's wrong?" Gordon says, yet I can tell he already knows.

"... When we leave... we won't be able to come back..." I sigh out. Before, I would've been ok with this, but being stuck in here, even for this brief moment, I realized something; The Science Team would disappear along with this world and I wasn't ok with this.

"D- Does this mean it- it's goodbye for good?" Tommy frowns.

I nod, and he looks even more bummed.

"Remember us, Gordon!" Coomer chimes in, although he has a really cheerful tone, his eyes are straining, holding back tears.

"... Fucking bullshit..." Benrey mumbles. 

Bubby grumbles something similar yet more vulgar under his breath.

"Awww, guys!" I tear up. Gordon is hiding his face, now fully bawling.

We all come together into a group hug, most of us sobbing hard. 

Becoming vulnerable with Gordon; that just reinforced the fact that they are my friends.

I don't want to leave them here.

A blinding light flashes in the room; and when it dissipates.

We're all standing in the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0


	4. Moving out to move in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A change of scenery is nice :)
> 
> Even if we don't really have a say in the matter.

Turns out Gordon didn't pay that month's rent; he had been fired from his job and spent his last paycheck in a rage on the VR setup which the spell completely rendered useless for the time being. And doing a no call, no show even to a birthday gig damaged my reputation to the point where I got significantly fewer gigs.

It's probably a good thing that we're getting kicked out anyways. Having a group of 6 living in a two-bedroom apartment was getting on everyone's nerves. Even with the events in the video game holding no real-world consequences; Gordon now having both hands and my clothing being very much still with me and not covered in whatever was in the sewers, the group had gotten into one too many fights over personal space. It had only been a week since the Science team arrived in the real world yet it felt like years.

Also, the no-pet rule kinda sucked. We were already on thin ice with Joshua, and Sunkist was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

By a stroke of luck, Gran called me, saying she saw one of my shows and wanted us to perform at the inn on a regular basis in exchange for a place to stay. I hesitate, contemplating telling Gordon but quickly shoved that thought away.

After the incident, we promised to talk more and to be better. After we cleared the air, we wanted to stay on good terms and tell each other everything. So, I did.

"Seems too good to be true..." Gordon sounds incredibly suspicious.

"We can give it a try; they were nice the last time we met," I respond.

"but, Joshua-"

"Our cat can come with, she doesn't have an issue with them as well as Sunkist."

"but- "

I frown, crossing my arms.

"... Fine..."

"... What's going on?" Harold speaks up, walking into the room holding Bubby's hand. After being brought to the real world, his speech got significantly better, no longer interrupting himself with his NPC dialogue. That and with the loss of his Ph.D., he refused to be called Dr. Coomer, so we all refer to him as Harold now, since, that's his first name.

"Oh, Hey, Harold! Our Gran offered to let us all stay at her inn!" I explain.

"Yeah, but I dunno... We haven't talked in forever..." Gordon chimes in with his skepticism.

"Come now, Gordon! It's been a while since we've been on an adventure!" Harold said cheerfully, "And they seem quite nice!"

"Yeah, Adventure!" I cheer.

"Ok, ok, guys." Gordon chuckled. 

"R- Road trip?" Tommy walks in sounding chipper as ever; just having walked Sunkist.

"RRRRRROOOOOAAADDD TRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!!" I cheer.

I notice Benrey in the corner, eating straight out of a can of ravioli with a plastic fork. They half-assedly holds up one hand; as if to signify cheering.

Yeah, this'll be interesting.

* * *

A three-hour drive later and we're in our home town; Gordon is white-knuckling the steering wheel. I sneak sync my phone to the car and start playing Dr. Feelgood.

To everyone's surprise, Bubby starts shouting the lyrics in the back of our rented bus, which is transporting most of our items as well as all of our friends.

Joshua is in my lap and doesn't seem to mind the absolute screaming from the back seat.

I join along, with Bubby; laughing in between refrains along the way as Sunkist howls, joining in.

As the song dies down, we roll past our parents' house. I note their car isn't in there and I'm left wondering if that's a good thing or a bad thing. We drive past a novelty soda shop, much to the chagrin of the group, wanting to stop and get a fizzy beverage.

We make it to the inn, it's just outside of town and in a thick forest.

"Woah! L- Look at all the trees!" Tommy beamed as well as everyone else, even Benrey, who had been pretty silent this whole time.

"You ain't seen nothing yet! From what the letter said, there's a hot spring too!" I smirked, getting a bunch of oo's and ah's as well as a hefty boof.

Gordon parks out front and we leave all leave the truck. 

Sunkist runs out, bounding around the vehicle; happy to be out of the car. She turns and tackles Tommy to the ground.

"Sunkist!" Tommy cheers, getting absolutely covered in slobber.

"Ahhh, it's good to see you, Mel!" An old lady is standing in the doorway, smiling sweetly,

"Oh, you must be Gran!" I half-bow, making sure not to freak out the cat in my arms, "Thank you for the generous offer! Letting all of us stay here!"

"Ohhohohoho! Don't worry about all that!" Gran chortled, she sounds almost as energetic as Harold, "Now let's get you all to your rooms!"

* * *

After some difficulty, we managed to get everything inside. The room we were staying in was a large family room, with a single wall divider that can be moved almost all the way over, either almost all the way open, or completely closed off. Four beds in total; two in one end, two directly opposite.

I'm surprised Gran let us have both pets, but she herself had a cat and would be hypocritical not to let our pets stay.

We set up all our things; we decided from the left side facing the windows that Tommy, Sunkist, Harold, and Bubby would share that side. As for the right side, it had most of our things; The tv, the VR headset we managed to fix, a litter box, and a couple of other things. Gordon, Benrey, Joshua, and I would be sleeping on this side.

"I'll sleep on the floor; It's not a problem!" I offered, sitting on the floor with Joshua in my lap.

"No, I will!" Gordon fought, "You're going to be using magic on a regular basis and need to sleep on a fucking bed!"

"... I can sleep on the floor..." Benrey offered.

We both stared at Benrey, who up until this point was silent. They were standing in the corner of the room like they're trying to be out of the way as much as possible.

"That's not fair to you, though!" Gordon spoke up.

"... S'fine... don't need sleep..." They fidget their hands as they say this.

"... I saw you sleeping the other day, so that's a lie... What about sharing a bed...?" I said; the cat jumping out of my lap and jumping onto the bed closest to the window.

I opened a can of worms and now I have to lay in it.

* * *

"Two homies sharing beds? Lil' Cryman can't handle it? Can't handle cuddling with the bros?" Benrey teases.

"Guys-" 

"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING?!" Gordon interrupts me.

"Feetman homophobic?" They say in their deadpan tone.

"Guys! G and I can just take turns or something!" Interject.

"No, it's fine! Me and you can just share!" Gordon through his hands up in the air.

"Why not with me, feetman? Feetman can't handle cuddling with the homies?" Benrey asks.

At one point, Benrey had moved from the far corner to the center of the floor; I ushered the rest of the group to go get something to eat to save them from the argument, so it was just me, Benrey, Gordon, and Joshie, the cat.

Gordon goes to say something but stops himself. He inhales sharply, holds his breath for a brief moment, then exhales slowly.

"Benrey," Gordon sounds really strict but takes in another breath and calms himself more, "Please just take this seriously for once."

"Wanna Kiss?"

I see Gordon's face turn bright red and he holds his breath. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose,

"Am I missing something?! Why do you keep fucking with me?!"

"Dumbass cringeman can't take a hint?" Benrey said, now with Joshua in his lap; purring away.

It was like something clicked in his head; like a piece of a puzzle he was constructing was finally found.

"... You've been flirting with me?" His face is red hot but now for a different reason.

"Whuh?"

"... You've been flirting with me, this whole time????" 

They nod, realizing they can't escape with ignorance.

By this point, my head is in my hands and I am laughing uncontrollably under my breath.

"What? Dude, I don't-" Gordon ran his fingers through his hair, "I've always thought you hated me."

I look over to Benrey, who is completely shocked, They try their best to hold it in, but a bit of sweet voice slips through his mouth. Yellow to blue.

Yellow to Blue means that's not true.

Gordon and I give each other a knowing look; by now getting a rough translation of what each bit sweet voice means.

"... Benrey, I've been meaning to ask, but you've been pretty quiet up until recently; Is something wrong?" I ask.

"Huh?"

"... I... might have said something..." Gordon sounds incredibly guilt-ridden, "He used his sweet voice to try and calm me down one night, and..."

I cross my arms.

"... I might have told him to never use it around me again???"

I scowl at him.

"I..."

Bigger frown; more angry.

"I'm sorry, Benrey. I never should have said that. I think your sweet voice is nice." Gordon blushes.

"Gayman likes my voice?" Benrey teases, lime green to blue sweet voice floats up throughout the room. This time, he sings a lot, letting it all out.

Lime to blue means thank you.

"... Now about the bed situation." I bring up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I have a note on my phone that I time to time add rhymes for the sweet voice.  
> All that work and I completely forget to add it to my story until just now.


	5. Coolatta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm fine :)
> 
> Also, I learn something new.

Tommy and Benry have decided to share a bed. 

It took five hours to decide, and not because of anything that would make sense, no! As soon as the rest of the science team walked through the door with pizza and soda in tow, and as soon as Tommy heard what the argument was about, he volunteered and everyone just accepted; instantly.

This whole argument could've been avoided and I'm angry.

That's not entirely the reason why I'm upset, though.

I'm eating pizza in the corner. Everyone is hanging out with each other; talking in their own small circles. Bubby and Harold are cuddling on their bed; talking about something I can't quite make out. Tommy, Benrey, and Gordon are talking to each other, and to my surprise, Gordon and Benrey are actually managing to hold a conversation. With them being closer to me than the two older gentlemen, I can actually pick up bits and pieces of their conversation. Yet, I can't focus on what exactly they say. It goes one ear and out the other.

A bit of teasing from Benrey and Gordon teases back; actually listening to what they have to say instead of using their knee-jerk reaction of yelling. And Tommy chimes in every once and a while too, getting all of them to laugh and smile. 

Gordon has changed.

He's cleaned themselves up nicely and they're more confident too. He has actual pajamas on instead of the ratty clothing he had worn for a little too long. His hair is tied back and his beard has been trimmed. He's even lost some weight and gained some muscle. He's tan too.

He's happy.

A feeling creeps up in my throat from the pit of my stomach; I'm the odd one out. 

I know that I shouldn't be feeling this way; I'm usually deeply ingrained in this group.

Or I feel like I should be.

We've lived together for a while now. I feel like we should be all closer than family now.

I shift a little in my spot for no reason in particular.

Actually, there is a reason.

I'm uncomfortable.

The one main thing my dreams gave me is the hatred of feeling separated. Feeling like I'm watching from behind a glass pane.

Like a fly on the wall.

I bite my lip to keep me from making a noise.

I taste metal; I bit down too hard.

I shake off this feeling the best I can and take another bite of pizza.

I pull off a blue flower bud and place it behind me; to hide them.

* * *

Bubby cheers wildly as I shoot fire over the crowd.

I added this part to my show because of him.

Performing helps me blow off some steam.

"Now! For my next trick, I'll need a hat!" I call out.

Tommy tosses me his propeller hat.

"OH! Stylish!" I giggle, placing it on my head, "Now! I'll need a volunteer! Preferably from the back!"

I pick some rando. In the very back; they're probably here on vacation since they're wearing a Hawaiian shirt. They're a little pale though and they look kinda sickly; this might me here for the medicinal springs.

Regardless, I effortlessly do a twirl with the hat and reach in; my arm going all the way in. 

I pull out the volunteer.

I normally marvel in the cheers and laughs, soaking it all in but I notice Tommy make a gasp in surprise.

I place Tommy's hat on their head; their expression blank.

Whatever.

I continue by bit, glancing over at Tommy ever once and a while.

I get the man to do an ok sign with their hand and blow into it; it makes bubbles fill the air.

"Ok, now on the count to three; clap with me, just once! 1... 2... 3!"

We clap and the bubbles burst loudly like firecrackers, turning into confetti.

"Thank you for watching my show! I hope you watch it again soon!" I wave, getting the strange man next to me to do the same. 

The lights go out and the Science Team rushes the stage.

"... Everything good-"

"D- Dad?! What- what are you doing here?" Tommy freaks out.

"What? This is your dad? You have a dad? I thought you were an orphan!" I inquire.

"I... am... Thomas's... Uncle, technically... I adopted... them," The strange man says in a tilted voice.

"Oh, nice to meet you, My name is Mel!" I smile politely. 

"I... am... G-man... Coolatta... Nice to... meet you," 

* * *

Mr. Coolatta seems cool enough. Feel kinda bad for assuming he's sick; he's not human, so of course, there would be something off with him.

Ah, Benrey made me so desensitized.

We're all sitting down in our room now; with Tommy talking G-Man's and Gordon's ears off sitting on the floor and Bubby and Harold are back on their bed, chatting it up.

"bbbbbbbbbbbbb," Benrey says, getting my attention. I didn't realize, but I'm sitting in the corner and Benrey is next to me.

"bbbbbbb," I respond, trying to sound jovial while shoving flower petals in my pockets.

"What's up?" They say out of left field.

"huh?"

"You mocking me? wow, cringe," They smirk.

"I... " I fidget a little, lying through my teeth, "I'm fine. Just thinking."

They stare blankly at me.

"I'm just tired, ok?"

More staring.

"... Do you want to listen to some music with me?"

They cock their head to the side, "Why? Got sweet voice," 

"No, this is different. It's human music."

They crinkle their nose.

"Give it a try," I say, holding up my earbuds temptingly. 

They nod hesitatingly, taking my earbud in their hand. I show them how to put it in their ear; It takes a couple of tries but eventually we get there. After some internal debate, I decide on a song. I pull up a song I think they'll like. I adjust the volume quickly; not wanting to blast it.

And I hit play.

* * *

_Hello, world_   
_Programmed to work and not to feel_   
_Not even sure that this is real_   
_Hello, world_

  
_Find my voice_   
_Although it sounds like bits and bytes_   
_My circuitry is filled with mites_   
_Hello, world_

  
_Oh, will I find a love_   
_Oh, or a power plug_   
_Oh, digitally isolated_   
_Oh, creator, please don't leave me waiting_

  
_Hello, world_   
_Programmed to work and not to feel_   
_Not even sure that this is real_   
_Hello, world_

* * *

Many different shades of Sweet Voice are filling the air and everyone has their eyes on us. 

Longing. And a little of something else I can't put my finger on.

Oh, that's new. 

The flowers on my hands are glowing a faint blue. Does this mean my flowers have magical properties to them? 

I pull one off carefully and I look at it closer; it's a flower I don't recognize, which is true for most of my flowers, but I never really questioned it until now. I get a whiff of their fragrance and a wave of raw emotion washes over me.

I start crying.

Even though I haven't been feeling the best, it's not because of that. It's because the feeling was so strong it caught me completely off guard. The tears streak down my face, but I don't reach to stop them. I feel confused more than anything.

It's a longing for someone; a one-sided pining for someone. Like I'm reaching for something desperately.

These aren't my feelings.

These are Benrey's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started working again; wisdom tooth removal recovery is going well :)  
> This means I won't be updating chapters as often, but I'll try to get them out as often as possible.  
> I still enjoy writing this, even if it might not be my best :)
> 
> The song is Hello World by Louie Zong, in case you wanted to listen to it. I like it. Very good song :)


End file.
